Checked against the SaluPaws toxic-food database
Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs — a few nuts are enough to poison a small dog. The tell-tale sign is weakness in the back legs within 12 hours, alongside tremors, vomiting and fever. The exact toxin is still unknown. Call your vet if any were eaten.
Signs have been reported from around 2 g of nuts per kg of body weight — a handful for a medium dog, two or three nuts for a toy breed. Watch for the hidden versions:
Usually within 12 hours:
Most dogs recover within 24–48 hours with supportive care — but a vet should make that call, especially if chocolate was involved or your dog is small.
Call your vet or an animal poison line (UK: Animal PoisonLine · US: ASPCA Animal Poison Control) with your dog's weight, how many nuts, in what form (plain, salted, in cookies), and when. If cookies were involved, say so — the chocolate may be the bigger risk.
SaluPaws checks every food you log against its toxic-food database — log "macadamia cookie" and it warns you on the spot, with vet guidance and a timestamped record for your vet. The check works offline, for every user, free.
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For a medium or large dog, one nut is unlikely to cause more than possible stomach upset — but ring your vet with your dog's weight to be sure, and watch for hind-leg weakness over the next 12 hours. For toy breeds, treat even small numbers seriously.
Usually yes — most macadamia cookies are white- or milk-chocolate based, stacking chocolate toxicity on top. Give the vet both pieces of information.
None are a great treat. Plain peanuts and cashews aren't toxic in small amounts but are very calorie-dense; walnuts and pecans can carry tremor-causing moulds; whole nuts are choking hazards. If you want a crunchy treat, carrots beat nuts on every measure.
The outlook is good — most dogs are back to normal within 48 hours with rest and supportive care. It's still a vet call, not a wait-and-see: severe tremors, fever or chocolate involvement change the picture.
Sources: VCA Animal Hospitals — macadamia nut toxicity · MSD Veterinary Manual. This page is general guidance, not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.